Monday, July 11, 2011

Number of the Day

Five: The number of separate sources who have independently confirmed that President Obama offered, during debt ceiling negotiations, an increase in the eligibility age for Medicare from 65 to 67.

At the link, Igor notes: "If the provision ends up in the final package, however, Democrats won't only cede the political debate about the efficacy of privatizing Medicare, they'll be accepting a portion of the Paul Ryan budget and effectively forcing Americans between 64 and 65 years of age to purchase coverage from private insurers in the state-based exchanges."

Additionally, Obama "repeatedly highlighted his willingness to include cuts to entitlement programs in a final agreement" in his morning press conference.

More of Obama's magical thinking: If only we "fix" Medicare and Social Security, the Republicans will stop attacking it.

Nope!

They want to see both programs destroyed. Compromising with them—on the backs of the people who need those programs, in order to subsidize the lavish tax haven that is the US for people who don't—won't sate their appetite for destruction any more than tossing chum in the water sates a fucking shark.